Day 371 / 136

Date: 18 April 2023
Sleeping location: Tip Watermeyer’s house, Hermanus, South Africa
Distance (km today/total/total Part 2): 91 / 23336 / 8499
Estimated climb (m today/total/total Part 2): 700 / 223000 / 105000
Average key pretty: medium
Day in three words: We love Watermeyers

The night was an absolute mare; first it was far too hot, then I opened the window and let a load of mosquitoes in and had to hunt them down, then it was far too cold. After this staccato sleep some proper coffee was required but was sadly not provided by breakfast (continental but fairly budget, and nowhere near big enough for two cyclists so we had to then go to the nearby petrol station for reinforcements: 3/10) so the whole day was a bit of a daze.

The morning’s riding was more rolling wheat fields with distant mountains, and it was very empty aside from the occasional farmhouse. It was all pretty in a low key way, and quite peaceful as the N2 (now finally left for GOOD) and then especially the R326 were very quiet. Along much of the R326 road works again meant that we got a private cycle lane, which added to the calmness. After a break in a moderately quaint farm stall in the middle of nowhere we descended to the coastal plain again, through a landscape of Dales-like green peaks and steep sided fields that was a bit more high key pretty.
 
As in the previous day we stopped at a bougie cafe in a bougie town for lunch, this time Stanford (not that one). Here I had an excellent sandwich, though it was impossible to avoid the sense that the prices are creeping up and up. After lunch the road continued to be high key pretty, with big craggy mountains on the right and a lagoon on left. Frequent signs warning of baboons added some jollity.  

Our end point was Hermanus, a fancy and beautiful town between the sea and more big craggy cliffs. Here our accommodation was provided by Al Watermeyer’s sister Tip.* Al had mentioned that she lived in Hermanus and told her we were passing through, but when I’d texted her it had turned out she was away. Undeterred, she left us the key under a rock and told us to make ourselves at home, whilst apologising profusely over voice notes for not being there. Another lovely Watermeyer; so much joy and hospitality has come out of that chance meeting by the side of the road in Mozambique. We picked up some shopping then I cooked a nice autumnal curry with sides (made in a race against time before loadshedding kicked in), had an absolutely delicious rose wine with it and enjoyed listening to some old prog (Esperanto) and some slightly newer prog (Sonic Youth**). 

*Real name Lori but they call her Tip for some reason 
**Yeh I know they are a grunge band but Daydream Nation has a lot of prog influence, IMO***
***Nobody cares

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